Edwin a



(No Model.)

EL/A. JEPFERY Spring Bed.

Patented Feb. 15,1881.

m 2 V2 9% G I 1 n i L a 0 NV [EN-m R N.PETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES AIEN'I FFICE.

EDWIN A. J EFFERY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SPRING-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,871, dated February 15,1881.

Application filed October 27, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. JEFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Spring-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of spring beds or bed-bottoms in which spiral springs are mounted on slats, and the said slats are connected together by means of distendinglinks, so that the bed may be rolled up with the springs inward.

In a former patent, granted to me November 4, 187 9, I showed a collapsible bed with angular bracing-links hinged both on the slats and midway between them; and ma pending application I have shown a bed with bracinglinks of a similar character, but capable of being locked between the slats, so that the bed may be rolled up with the springs inside. This last is both acollapsible and roll-up bed. My present invention is an improvement on these, and is embodied in a bed which is capable of being rolled or folded up, but not of being collapsed. It has bracing-links hinged on the slats, at or near their longitudinal centers; butthese have no hinges between the slats.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved bed, somewhat shortened for lack of room on the sheet. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, showing the bed partly rolled up.

. Fig. 3 is a sectional and plan view,-showing the eye for hingin g the links to the slats. Figs. 4 and 5 show modifications of the eye illustrated in Fig. 3..

Let A represent the slats, (in this case of wood,) and B B the springs, mounted thereon in the usual way. 0 U are the usual side rails or slats, mounted on the top of the marginal springs. These elements are common to springbeds of thischaracter.

D D are hinging-eyes of metal, preferably provided for wooden slats, with two points or prongs, a a, (see Fig. 3), which are driven through the slat and clinched on the under side. These eyes are arranged crosswise of the slats, as shown.

E E are the distending and bracing links, the perforated ends of which are connected to the eyes D with hinge rivets, bolts, or pins,

as clearly shown. I prefer to make these links of flat plate-iron, and they are bent to shape and their ends punched for the hinge-rivets. This makes the cheapest and most rigid form of link, It will be seen that there are two series of these connecting-links, one near each end ofthe bed, and I find this number sufficient for any ordinary bed. In each series it will be seen that when a slat has two hingingpoints the adjacent slats on each side will have but one. Thus the slats bearing double hinging-points are alternated with those having single hinging-poi'nts. But the slat bearing a single hinging-point at one end might have a double hinging-point at the other end, if preferred. The links thus arranged form diamond -shaped spaces with the alternate .slats crossing the middles of said spaces, and

at the centers of these spaces I set springs. The springs on the intervening slats are set on each side of the single hinging-point, and alternate, in their arrangement, with the springs on the adjacent slats. By this arrangement I am enabled to set my springs with reference to the links in the best and most economical manner possible. I

Where the number of slats employed is un even, I prefer to provide the marginal slats with a single hinging-point, as shown; but where an even number is employed, one marginal slat willof course have one and the 0pposite one two hinging-points.

The braces b b, which form no part in themselves of my present invention, are hinged to the eyes in the marginal slats, as shown, and, when the bed is in place on the bedstead, span the space between the bed and the rail and bear against the latter.

Where the slats are of wood I may employ an eye, constructed as shown in Fig. 4. In this eye two short points are left at the corners, to penetrate the wood and prevent the eye from turning, and a central rivet passes through a slat and is riveted on a burr or washer on the under side. Where the slat is of thin iron or steel-as it may be the eye may have a single or double rivet-point. The latter form'is shown in'Fig. 5. These eyes are much simpler in construction and much cheaper than any hinging device I am familiar with in beds of this character.

The marginal slats should not turn on their 2 237,8'7lll hinging-points, and to prevent this, as well as to support the marginal springs, I employ braces or strips 0 c, of steel, arranged as shown. These, however, are not new.

It will be observed that I have herein shown a means for keeping the slats distended'and spaced, and a. system of diagonal bracing, all in one. As an equivalent, I might separate the distendin g and bracing mechanism as follows: Instead ofarran gin g the links diag0nally,they might be arranged to extend transversely across the bed from hingingpoint to hingingpoint on the slats, and would thus serve to distend and space the slats, but not to brace the bed. Two flexible wires or cords might then be stretched diagonally across the distended slats and be fastened to each slat by staples or other means. This would serve as a means of bracing the bed when distended, and would not interfere with its rolling up. I prefer, however, to combine the bracing and distending mechanism as shown, as it seems to be the more simple and durable.

One important advantage of my herein-described bracing and distendin g mechanism is, that by simply bringing theidouble hinging points on the slats closer together or separating them farther from each other, I am enabled to vary the width of the bed (when distended) in its manufacture without altering the length of the links. Thus the same links may serve for beds of several widths. This enables me to construct the beds cheaper than 1 otherwise could.

Having thus described my invention and pointed out its distinctive features, I claim- I. A sprin g-bed composed of sprin gs mounted on slats, the said slats being provided with bracing and distending links hinged on the slats, and extending diagonally from slat to slat, each link being formed of a single rigid piece, substantially as set forth.

2. The combinatiomwith the slats and springs of a spring-bed, of the diagonally-arranged links E, each link being formed of a single rigid piece hinged on the slats, and extending from a single hinging-point on one slat to two hingingpoints 0n the adjacent slat, so as to form a rigid bracing and distending mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination,with the slats and springs of a spring-bed, of the links E, hinged on the slats and arranged to form diamond-shaped spaces, across the centers of which alternate slats pass, with springs arranged in the centers of said inolosed spaces, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the slats of the distending and bracing mechanism,which consists of the eyes D I), mounted on theslats, and the flat rigid links E E, provided with holes at their ends and suitable hinge-rivets, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the slats, of the fiat double-pointed eyes D, adapted to be fixed to the slats, substantially as set forth, and the flat bracing-links, all arranged substantially as shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN A. JEFI E tY.

W itnesses:

HENRY Oonnnr'r, Gno. BAINTON. 

